


Home

by Kenyancougar



Series: Abducted [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-03
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-04-07 12:50:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4263882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kenyancougar/pseuds/Kenyancougar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oliver and Felicity are back from their Honeymoon and find that someone is threatening the home that they have worked so hard to protect. Picks up at the end of "The Emerald"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WolfOfHiddenMoons... thank you for your Beta assistance.
> 
> Arrow belongs to the CW. I lay no claim to the characters or anything relating to show canon.

_"Welcome home Mrs. Queen." Oliver smiled._

_"Welcome home Mr. Queen." Felicity answered with a smile of her own as she placed her hand on her stomach and thought about their future, and the appointment that she needed to make._

_They were home!_

_…_

**Chapter 1 - Home**

"Oliver! Felicity! You're back!" Roy stated from where he hung on the Salmon Ladder.

Roy had just reached the top of the Ladder and had paused for a moment to catch his breath when he noticed the newlyweds standing on the stairs. He quickly jumped down from and headed towards the couple just as Thea and Sin noticed that they had company.

"Oliver, Felicity, Diggle, Lyla, welcome home." Andrew greeted the group as he stood from his place at Felicity's computers.

"Ollie!" Thea squealed as she ran to embrace her brother in a tight hug before turning to her new sister-in-law. They had only been gone for six weeks but she had missed them dearly. "I'm so glad you're home."

"Hey Speedy." Oliver held Thea close for a moment.

"It's not Speedy anymore Ollie." Thea laughed as she pulled away from her brother.

"No?" Oliver asked curiously. "What is it then?"

"The Phoenix." Roy answered as he shook Oliver's hand in greeting.

Oliver took a moment to think that over. He realized that it was very fitting, and Walter apparently knew that when he called Thea a Phoenix not long before his wedding. He was glad Thea had found a name that she liked.

"Phoenix it is then."

"Felicity how are you? How was the honeymoon? Did my brother treat you well? Where did you go? What did you see? What foods…." Thea asked, the questions coming out at a hundred miles an hour.

"Thea!" Roy interrupted her rambling. "We're not playing fifty questions here. You'll have a chance to get all your answers in due time." Roy laughed, noting Thea's pouty lip.

"It's okay Roy, she just missed us." Felicity answered as she pulled Thea into a hug. "I am amazing. Yes, Oliver is treating me great. He's wonderful! As for the rest, I'll fill you in later." Felicity winked at Thea and gained a laugh from the young woman.

"Welcome home guys." Sin said as she joined the rest of the group. "I'm glad you enjoyed your honeymoon."

"Thank you Sin." Felicity smiled as she gave the younger woman a hug as well. She didn't want anyone to feel left out.

"So, what are your plans for tonight? Are you joining us on patrol?" Roy asked as the group made their way further into the Lair.

"Yeah, I'm ready to suit up again. It's been a while." Oliver admitted as he glanced at the case housing his green leather.

"I bet. What about you Digg? You going out with us?" Roy turned to the other man.

"Yeah. Vacations over, it's time to get back to work." Diggle replied with a smile.

"Well, since you two are back I'm going to take the evening off and spend it with Nyssa before she leaves town. Call me only if it's urgent." Sara instructed as she grabbed the keys to her bike.

"Have a good evening Sara." Felicity gave the other blonde a quick hug before she disappeared.

"Well, fill us in. What's been going on since we've been gone?" Oliver asked as he turned to Andrew.

"Not much. We've mostly been just keeping the peace. We've been stopping a string of robberies, the occasional breaking and entering. Not really anything to be too worried about." Andrew answered as he gestured to Felicity's computer chair, offering her seat back to her.

Felicity gave Andrew a small smile of thanks before sitting down in her chair and facing her computers. Her smile grew as she looked at the pictures on the desk. The first was a group shot of the Team from the wedding. They were all smiling and laughing, something that didn't happen for Team Arrow very often. The second was of Oliver and Felicity. Felicity was standing in front of Oliver with her left hand resting on his chest, showing off her wedding bands, and they were gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. The way Felicity was positioned in the picture you could make out just a hint of her dragon tattoo and she took in a deep breath as it briefly brought back the memories of when she had received it. She and Oliver hadn't really talked about it until their honeymoon and she hoped that he really was okay with it now as he had said he was.

"Those were our favorite pictures. You can change them if you want to." Thea commented as she noticed Felicity looking at the new pictures on her desk. "We thought it would make the place feel just a bit more like home."

"They are perfect choices Thea. Thank you!" Felicity said with all sincerity as she offered her sister-in-law a smile. "So, what are we doing tonight? Just routine patrolling?"

"Yes. I want to train for a bit first then we can go out at dusk." Oliver answered as he placed a hand on the back of Felicity's chair.

"That sounds good to me. Andrew can catch me up on things here while you train." Felicity answered, gaining a nod of agreement from Andrew.

"Perfect." Oliver smiled before going to change into his workout gear.

Oliver moved to the Salmon Ladder first after he changed into his loose fitting workout pants. As he moved up the Ladder he could feel his muscles stretching and warming up. It felt incredibly good to be working out again.

Felicity watched Oliver ascend the Salmon Ladder and realized that she had missed watching him do this. Watching him as his muscles rippled with the effort of moving up the Ladder, seeing his body become covered in sweat, his abs being on display for her to ogle. She was so entranced with watching Oliver on the Ladder that Andrew had to call her name three times before she shook herself out of it.

"I upgraded a couple of your programs while you were gone. They started to run a bit sluggishly so I did a bit of work with them to help them run faster." Andrew started to explain. This led into a discussion about what he had upgraded, why, and how it was boosting the speed of her system.

It was half an hour later, while Oliver and Diggle were sparring on the mats, that Felicity finally approached Roy. The young man was checking his gear in preparation for the evenings patrolling when she walked up to him.

"Hey Roy." Felicity greeted him as she stood next to the case with his red leather.

"Hey. How does it feel being back?" Roy asked as he offered her a small smile.

"Really good. Hey, I wanted to talk to you for a minute." Felicity started to explain why she had approached him. "I never really had a chance to talk to you before, you know, between the Dealer and the wedding."

"Felicity…" Roy started to respond before being interrupted.

"No, let me talk." Felicity interjected. "Since you've joined the Team you've become like a little brother to me. When the Dealer took you, what he did to you, it made me sick. I wanted to talk with you after, to make sure you were okay, but things were just so busy. I'm so sorry I didn't check in with you."

"Felicity, I'm fine. I promise." Roy told Felicity. He could see that this had eaten at her for a while and he hoped that he could put her mind at ease. "We were both busy. I was still healing from my injuries and you were neck deep in last minute wedding details. Not to mention that Thea was stuck to me like glue the whole time."

"That's no excuse not to make sure that you were okay." Felicity stated.

"Maybe not. But what  _does_  matter is that you  _do_  care and that you are asking me now." Roy placed his hand on her arm comfortingly.

"How are you really doing Roy?" Felicity asked after a moment.

"I'm doing okay. I still have nightmares once in a while but they aren't so bad if Thea is with me." Roy said honestly. "The first couple of weeks were the hardest. I found myself jumping at the smallest of sounds sometimes, always checking my back, constantly checking in on Thea and Sin to make sure they were okay." Roy paused for a moment. "I had a long talk with Sara and she told me that my reactions were completely normal for someone that's been though the things I've been through. It's really helped having her and Thea here to talk to, not to mention that I've been able to get to know my brother a lot better."

"Roy, I'm so sorry we weren't here for you." Felicity said softly as she pulled him into a tight hug. "We should have been here for you!"

"No Felicity, you were right where you needed to be. You and Oliver really needed to get away and spend some time together, just the two of you. I don't hold any hard feelings. In fact, I'm really glad you two got away." Roy told her as he rubbed small circles in her back. It was then that he remembered her tattoo.

"Hey Felicity, did you and Oliver ever talk about the tattoo?" Roy asked cautiously after a moment.

Felicity pulled back so that she could talk more easily.

"Yes, we finally did." Felicity answered as she glanced over to the mats where her husband and Diggle were training. "It was about a week and a half after the wedding and we were at the beach. My bikini showed it off quite effectively. That evening I asked Oliver why he had been brooding on our honeymoon. Turns out that seeing it reminds him of Shado and brings all that pain back to the surface. He keeps beating himself up over the fact that he couldn't protect me from it, that I was still captured, hurt, and branded."

"It's not his fault." Roy commented softly. He knew Oliver well enough to know what his mentor had thought.

"That's what I told him, but he argued in typical Oliver Queen fashion." Felicity laughed. "I told him that it bothered me too, knowing that I bore the same marks that another woman that he had loved bore, a woman who is now dead. It hurts me to know that every time he sees it he thinks of her. But then I realized something."

"What's that?" Roy asked when Felicity paused and turned to look at Oliver.

"It's not so much a branding to remind him of what he's lost in the past, but to remind him of how far he's come." Felicity explained as she followed Oliver's easy movements on the mats. "I told him that when he sees the dragon on my shoulder he should remember that he is no longer the man that he was when he was with Shado. He's something better,  _someone_  better."

"Did he go for that?" Roy asked curiously.

"It took a while to get it through his thick skull but yeah, he finally did." Felicity smiled, remembering just when it had sunk in. He had been a much lighter person after that and the benefits of being married were so much sweeter that night. In fact, if she were a betting woman she would bet that that was the night that things changed for them, for forever.  _I still need to call and make that appointment._  She thought suddenly, the reminder of that evening bringing to the forefront of her mind the reason  _why_  she needed to make that appointment.

"Are you two going to stand there and chat all evening, or are we going to suit up and get to work?" Oliver asked from his place across the room on the training mats.

"I'm glad you two talked." Roy whispered as he smiled and stepped back.

"I'm glad you and I talked too." Felicity replied with a small smile.

"Yeah, me too." Roy turned to head towards the training mats. "We can suit up if you want, but I kind of thought I'd hand your ass to you on the mats first." Roy answered Oliver.

"A little cocky now are we?" Oliver asked with a smile as Roy joined him on the mats.

"Why don't you find out?" Roy taunted.

"I'm glad you guys are back." Thea commented quietly as she came to stand next to Felicity as they watched the guys sparring on the mats.

"Me too." Felicity smiled.

"He's been training with Sara. He's gotten pretty good at a few new moves." Thea said proudly as she watched Roy sweep Oliver's feet out from under him. "Unfortunately I don't think it will be enough to keep Oliver down."

Both women laughed at that, and the fact that mere seconds after Oliver was swept off his feet Roy was the one pinned to the mats.

…

It was only an hour later that Arrow, Arsenal, Overwatch, and Phoenix were out on patrol. As Felicity sat behind her computers she took a deep breath and smiled.  _This_  is what they were here for, what they did best. This was home.

"How are things looking on your side of town Arsenal?" Oliver asked over the comms as he and Diggle made their way around the city.

"All's good here Arrow. What about your side?" Roy responded, he was happy that the Team was complete again, even if they weren't all out in the field tonight.

"Clear here. What do you say we wrap it up early and head home?" Oliver replied.

"Sounds good to me!" Thea agreed.

As the Team bantered over the comms the Arrow's phone rang in the lair. Felicity checked to see that it was Detective Lance before patching him through the comms to Oliver.

"Oliver, I have Lance on the line." Felicity explained to her husband before she put the call through.

"Detective." Oliver answered in typical Arrow fashion.

"So the rumors are true, you are back from you trip." Lance stated, Oliver could tell the man was smiling from his tone of voice.

"Where did you go Arrow?" The Captain asked, letting Oliver know he was on speaker.

"A friend needed me. What do you need?" Oliver changed the subject, not wanting to have to come up with a believable story for the Chief and Detective.

"We heard rumors that you were out tonight. We wanted to verify, and let you know that it looks like we are going to have a case that we will need your help with soon." Detective Lance explained.

"We don't have all the information together just yet, but we wanted to make sure you were in town before we reached out." The Captain stated.

"My Team could have handled it." Oliver replied, slightly irritated that SCPD still didn't completely trust his Team.

"We're going to need all hands on deck for this one." Lance told him. He knew that Team Arrow could handle anything even without everyone there. But, for this guy, they were going to need all the help that they could get.

"Call me when you have the information and my Team will meet you." Oliver told the Officers before then hanging up.

"What was that all about?" Thea asked curiously.

"I guess SCPD will be needing our help before too long." Diggle answered as he and Oliver headed back to the Lair.

It was only a short while later when the Team entered the Lair under Verdant. Each member took turns changing out of their leather and putting their supplies away. As Thea waited for her turn to change she made a very obvious observation.

"Man, this place is getting crowded. Not to mention we could seriously use more changing rooms."

Oliver looked to Diggle and Felicity before nodding his head in agreement.

"You're right Phoenix." Oliver agreed. "We shall see what we can do."


	2. House Hunting

"Welcome home!" Moira greeted the group as she pulled Oliver and then Felicity into a warm hug. "I trust you enjoyed your honeymoon?"

"Hi mom." Oliver smiled once she had released them. They had just arrived at the Mansion after an evening of patrolling and had been greeted at the door by his mother who was very excited to have them home. "Our honeymoon was perfect. Thank you!"

"Oliver, Son, it's good to have you home. You as well Mrs. Queen, Felicity." Walter greeted the couple with a huge smile.

"I'm still not used to being called Mrs. Queen." Felicity commented as she smiled at her husband.

"Well, you better get used to it." Oliver whispered in her ear just before giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

"Raisa has prepared some late night snacks for everyone if you would like to come into the sitting room." Moira informed her guests as they entered the foyer.

The group all filtered into the sitting room, thankful for some snacks to curb their appetite after a night of patrolling. Even if they hadn't had to really do anything tonight.

They all enjoyed easy conversation, discussing what all had gone on since Oliver and Felicity had left, how the honeymoon went and what they had been able to see and do while they were gone, as well as some planning for upcoming days.

As the family sat and talked Thea noticed that Roy was acting a bit stranger than usual. He was quiet and fidgety and she gave him an odd look a couple of times trying to figure out what was going on with him. When he said nothing she decided that she would simply wait until later and ask him in the privacy of her room what was going on with him.

"Um, if I could say something." Roy finally said nervously when the conversation died down some. "I, uh, have been wanting to do this for a while, but figured it would be best to wait until the family is all together again."

Oliver met Roy's eyes and suddenly knew exactly why his young partner was so nervous. He offered the young man a small smile and a nod, letting him know that it was okay and go ahead with what he had to say.

"Thea." Roy said as he stood and faced the young woman in question, pulling her to her feet. "The first day that I met you I knew that you were special. When I stole your purse that day I thought I'd get some cash and be done with it. I never imagined that I would see you again. But then one day you knocked on my door and demanded your property back. I knew then that I would be seeing you over and over again."

Thea gave a small smile and tilted her head to the side a bit as she listened to Roy's words. Granted, their first meetings were a bit out of the ordinary, but their relationship has grown into something she never would have dreamed of before.

"Ever since then you have changed my life. In so many ways! You found me a job, friends, a family. You saved my life when you came looking for me and for that I will always be thankful." Roy took a deep breath and offered Thea a small smile before continuing. "You have even stood by me when my Dad came to town to terrorize those that are closest to us. You learned about my past and yet you never once saw me as the damaged and broken man that I thought I was."

Roy reached into the pocket of his hoodie and lowered himself down to one knee. He opened the small velvet box in his hand and held it up for Thea to see. When she saw the ruby ring nestled inside her hands covered her mouth in shock and her eyes met his.

"You've stood by me through good and bad, when I am sick and hurt, when Slade and my Dad tried to tear us apart. You've never once left my side! So now I'm asking you. Will you stand by me once again? Will you give me the immense pleasure of standing beside me in front of friends and family as I pledge my life to honor, love, and protect you?" Roy took a quick breath. "Thea Dearden Queen, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Thea was nodding her head in answer before Roy ever finished asking her to marry him. She knew what her answer was without even having to think about it. There was never a doubt in the world that she would one day marry the man that knelt in front of her.

"Yes! A thousand times yes!" Thea replied, a wide smile on her face and tears of happiness running unchecked down her face.

Roy took a deep breath and smiled. He had been so nervous about asking Thea to marry him. He had finally decided though that if Oliver had been able to do it then so could he. He gently lifted the ring out of the box and slid it into place on Thea's ring finger. It looked so perfect there, like it had belonged there all along.

After placing the ring on Thea's finger Roy stood and pulled her into his embrace. They shared a deep, passionate kiss before they were interrupted by Oliver clearing his throat just behind them.

"Let me be the first to congratulate you both." Oliver shook Roy's hand before squeezing his shoulder. "Good job Roy."

"Ollie look, isn't it perfect!" Thea gushed as she showed her new engagement ring to her brother.

"It is Thea. Congratulations!" Oliver pulled his little sister into a tight hug.

"Thanks Ollie." Thea whispered into Oliver's chest. Seven years ago, when Oliver and her dad had been lost at sea, she had never imagined that she would be this happy. Now not only is Oliver alive and home but she now has a new sister in law, and now a fiancé.  _Can things get any better?_  She thought as Felicity drew her into a congratulatory hug before gushing over her new ring.

…

"So, what are the plans for today?" Felicity asked as she dried her hair the next morning.

"I thought we might go house hunting." Oliver commented nonchalantly as he pulled a shirt over his head before smiling at his wife.

"That sounds like a perfect plan. Any place in particular?" Felicity asked curiously.

"Not really. I thought I'd ask mom and Walter if they had any suggestions before we meet with their real estate agent." Oliver answered. He walked up behind Felicity and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his hands on her belly.

"Oh, that reminds me. I need to call my doctor today and set up that appointment." Felicity commented as she turned her head to meet Oliver's eyes. She smiled as she could see his blue eyes sparkle.

"That you do my dear wife." Oliver kissed her gently.

"I probably can't get in today though so we should be able to go house hunting with no problem." Felicity whispered once Oliver had finished kissing her.

"Come on. Raisa's sure to have breakfast ready and I'm starving." Oliver took her hand and led her downstairs to the dining room where they met the rest of the family.

"Good morning everyone." Felicity greeted happily as she took her seat next to Oliver at the table.

"Good morning Felicity. Did you sleep well?" Moira greeted her new daughter-in-law.

"I did. Thank you!" Felicity smiled back as she started to fill her plate with the fruit Raisa had prepared for them.

"Mom, we were curious if your real estate agent might be available today." Oliver commented as he sat next to Felicity.

"Are you two looking to buy a house?" Walter asked curiously.

"You're more than welcome to stay here as long as you like." Moira added.

"We know, but we would like to have a home of our own." Oliver explained. "We greatly appreciate your offer though."

"I understand. You want a place for yourselves. Somewhere that you can have a family one day." Walter commented, fully understanding their reasoning.

"Yes. We do." Oliver smiled.

"I'll call her today. She should be available." Moira informed them. "I think the old Paxton residence is up for sale. It's a smaller house than here, but it would do for your first place I would think."

"Thank you. We would love to look at it." Felicity smiled. "Wouldn't we Oliver?"

"It sounds like the perfect place to start." Oliver answered.

…...

It was a couple of hours later that Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle found themselves touring the old Paxton residence. Moira had been right, it wasn't as big as the Queen mansion. However, the six bedroom, eight bathroom house was more than big enough for the couple. Not to mention the extensive grounds were quite appealing as well.

"I really like this house." Felicity whispered as she stood on the back patio with Oliver looking out at the garden in the back.

"It is quite nice isn't it?" Oliver agreed.

"Security would be easy here as well. There's a nice stone wall surrounding the property with a coded gate. There's room for a security office off the kitchen." Diggle added his two cents. "Not to mention there is a perfect room upstairs for a nursery." He winked at Oliver who smiled at his friend in return.

"Do we have to keep looking?" Felicity asked as she turned and wrapped her arms around Oliver.

Oliver knew he was done for as soon as Felicity gave him the look. The one that said 'I really want this can I pretty please have it hubby dearest.' He had seen that look a few times on their honeymoon and Felicity had a few new pieces of jewelry because of that look. He sighed before smiling down at his wife.

"I'll call Walter and set up a time to discuss the details." Oliver finally gave it much to the delight of his wife.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Felicity gushed.

Oliver and Diggle laughed and shared a smile as Felicity ran back indoors to look around once more.

"I'll start making calls about security." Diggle commented as he squeezed Oliver's shoulder.

"I'll call Walter about buying our first home." Oliver said as he turned to walk back inside with Diggle.

 _Home. A home for Felicity and I. I'm finally home!_  Oliver thought as he walked through the back door to join his wife.

…...

Two years. He hadn't been home in two whole years. In fact, he hasn't stepped foot inside Starling City since the Undertaking in May 2013. It had been entirely too long. He had spent a long time trying to figure out where he was being held that it wasn't until six months ago that he had finally realized that he  _could_  go home.

Now here he was. Stepping out of the cab in the Glades at the one place that he truly felt at home, Verdant. Some people would think that he was crazy, saying a club felt more like home than anywhere else. But it was true, and now he was here, he was home.

He pulled the key that he had kept for two years out of his pocket and tried it in the door, surprised when it opened easily for him.  _Apparently they never thought to change the locks._ He thought, amused.

As he stepped inside he looked around and took everything in. Not much had changed since he had left. There were a few new decorations on the walls and the paint had been touched up but other than that the place looked the same.

He moseyed up to the bar and grabbed himself a beer before sitting down on one of the tall stools. Now he would wait. He wasn't sure how long it would take but he  _did_  know that this was where Oliver Queen would end up this evening.

He couldn't wait to see the young man's face when Oliver realized that he was home.


	3. Ghost

After Oliver and Felicity finished touring the old Paxton residence Oliver called Walter to look into what needed to be done to buy the house. As it turned out the Paxton's were ready to sell immediately and wanted to get the paperwork done as soon as possible. Thanks to the prestige of both parties involved the papers were expedited and should be finished by the end of the week.

"I can't believe that we are buying a house, the day after we got back from our honeymoon!" Felicity squealed as they entered the Queen mansion after a long day of paperwork.

"It will officially be ours by the end of the week. We should probably look into furniture and such the beginning of next week." Oliver smiled at his wife's enthusiasm.

"I don't care if we have furniture in there or not. Can we sleep there as soon as possible? We can move furniture in as we go if you want. I really just want to be in our new house. Our home." Felicity pleaded. She really  _didn't_ care if there was furniture in the house or not. She would be just as happy snuggling up to sleep in front of the fireplace with Oliver if he would agree to it.

"Let's hold off until a couple of days after we sign, just to get all of the stuff that we  _do_  have into the house. Then we can sleep there." Oliver conceded, smiling at the look of pure happiness on Felicity's face. "I'll arrange for movers to come out as soon as the papers are signed and it's officially ours."

"I can't wait!" Felicity squealed as she reached up to plant a kiss on Oliver's lips.

"Come on, let's go find everyone." Oliver smiled after returning the kiss.

As the couple entered the sitting room they were greeted by their friends and family with a round of congratulations and balloons.

"Congratulations Ollie, Felicity! I'm so excited for you guys! How does it feel to own your own house?" Thea asked, her excitement bubbling over.

"It feels amazing. I just can't wait to move in!" Felicity replied with just as much excitement. The two sisters-in-law sat down together to discuss the features of the house as well as to determine when Thea would be able to get a tour of the house.

"Well Oliver, I bet seven years ago you never thought you'd own your own place did you?" Laurel asked. She had accompanied Oliver and Felicity to the meeting as their lawyer even though the Queen family lawyer would be handling everything.

"Never in a million years." Oliver answered as he looked lovingly at his wife.

"I'm happy for you Ollie." Laurel commented quietly, seeing where his gaze rested. "I just wish Tommy were here to share this with you. Your wedding, your house, everything."

"I know you still miss him." Oliver turned to meet Laurel's eyes. "You never really get over a loss like that. Just know that he would be happy knowing that you are happy."

"You're right." Laurel took a deep breath to reign in her emotions before a smile graced her face once more and she turned to Oliver. "You know what Tommy would say right now?"

"That I need to plan the housewarming party of the century?" Oliver asked with a grin.

"Exactly!" Laurel laughed.

…

That afternoon Team Arrow headed to the Lair under Verdant for some training before they started their patrol for the evening.

"Hey if it's another slow night on patrol can we go to the QC Training Compound for a bit tonight?" Roy asked as the group piled out of the cars in front of Verdant.

The Team had decided to use the front door today as Thea needed Felicity's assistance with a computer problem she had had the evening before and Roy and Oliver had agreed to help with inventory while the women worked. They would begin training once those tasks were completed.

"I don't see why not." Oliver answered as he reached out to unlock the door to the club. He stopped dead in his tracks when the handle turned before he ever stuck the key in. "Hold." He ordered quietly.

Roy was immediately on high alert. He had seen Oliver shift into Arrow mode as soon as he touched the door handle and knew that something was wrong. He met Oliver's eyes and knew that they were going in on the defensive.

"Stay here." Oliver told Felicity and Thea. "Digg, Roy, on me."

The men carefully entered the club, ready for anything. As they stepped inside the door Oliver noticed a lone figure sitting at the bar with his back to them. He motioned Diggle to the left and Roy to the right before slowly walking forward.

"Well, well, well… It's about time you got here Oliver." The man laughed as he spun on the stool to face Oliver. "I had begun to think that you gave up the night club."

Oliver stopped dead in his tracks, speechless. He knew who the man was as soon as he started to speak and he suddenly thought he was seeing ghosts, again. However, he knew it wasn't possible as he hadn't been drugged at all, unless Felicity had done it to him in his sleep which was highly unlikely as he would have felt the effects several hours ago.

"Tommy?!" Oliver asked incredulously.

"I've been gone for two years and all you can do is stand there and stare at me?" Tommy asked as he rose from his stool and took a couple of steps towards Oliver.

Oliver and Tommy met in an embrace in the middle of Verdant. Both men had tears in their eyes as they were finally reunited with their lifelong friend. Oliver felt a mix of confusion, elation, sadness, and joy at being reunited with his friend.

"Oliver?" Felicity called from the entrance of the club.

Felicity had waited not so patiently outside for the all clear and she and Thea had finally decided, after not hearing anything from the men inside, that it was time to check things out. What she did  _not_  expect was to see Tommy Merlyn, back from the dead and embracing her husband. Roy and Diggle were simply standing off to the side, observing.

"What's going on?" Felicity asked curiously as she walked towards her husband.

"I'm back!" Tommy stated, spreading his arms wide and a huge smile on his face.

"Tommy?" Thea gasped as she came to a stop a few feet away from the men. "You died!"

"Not quite, but almost." Tommy replied. "It's a long story."

"But…how are you here?" Thea asked, still shocked over the fact that her half-brother really was alive.  _He doesn't know I'm his sister._  She suddenly realized.

"That's part of the long story." Tommy answered, eyeing Thea curiously. She was acting weird, even for her, and he wasn't sure why.

"Tommy, I think you, Thea, and I need to sit down and talk." Oliver commented, realizing the reason for the awkwardness in the room. "We'll meet you downstairs in a bit." Oliver said as he looked to the rest of the Team.

"Are you okay?" Felicity asked Oliver quietly as she stepped up to him.

"I'll be fine." Oliver answered, the look in his eyes telling his wife more than words could. "I think you should call Laurel." He whispered in her ear quietly enough that only she would hear.

Felicity met Oliver's eyes once again before giving a small nod and following Diggle towards the entrance to the Lair.

"Thea? Do you want me to stay?" Roy asked as he walked up to his fiancé. He was concerned for her, seeing yet another brother come back from the dead and she didn't even know how he would respond to having a little sister.

"No, it's fine. Ollie's here." Thea answered, still in a bit of a daze after seeing Tommy alive.

"I'm just downstairs if you need me. All you have to do is say the word and I'll be here." Roy told her as he squeezed her hand. "I love you."

All Thea could do in response to Roy's words was nod her head in acknowledgement. She was excited that Tommy was home, confused as to how he was still alive, and intensely worried about what he would say when they told him that the two of them were related. She was glad that Oliver was going to stick around for this conversation.

"What's going on guys?" Tommy asked curiously as the rest of the Team walked away and headed down to the Lair that he assumed was still under the club.

"Let's have a seat." Oliver suggested, motioning to a set of couches not far away. Tommy and Thea followed without questions and the trio sat facing each other.

"Tommy, there's something that we need to tell you." Oliver started after meeting his sister's eyes. He had wanted to make sure that she was okay with him telling Tommy the news and the look on her face told him that she was thankful he was going to do the talking.

"What's going on Oliver? You're acting like you're about to break some bad news to me." Tommy asked.

"It depends on how you look at it." Oliver said quietly. He clasped his hands in front of him, trying to decide how to word things. "Tommy, There's something I need to tell you about your father."

"You mean other than the fact that you killed him?" Tommy asked suddenly. "Don't worry. I don't hold a grudge. He deserved what was coming to him."

"No, that's not what I was going to tell you, yet. However, I am curious as to how you knew that, but you can tell me that later." Oliver answered. He took a deep breath and looked his friend in the eyes. "You knew that our parents worked together on the Undertaking."

"You mean that massive earthquake machine that ended up almost killing me? Yeah, I knew that. What does that have to do with anything?" Tommy asked as he leaned back and draped his arms across the back of the chair he was sitting in.

"They didn't always have just a working relationship and friendship." Oliver replied, treading carefully. "After your mom passed my mom and your dad got to know each other…intimately."

"What?" Tommy asked leaning forward in his chair, elbows on his knees. "Are you telling me that my dad had an affair with your mom?"

"Yes." Oliver answered simply.

"How do you know that? Did he tell you? He was probably lying just to get a reaction out of you you know." Tommy stated agitatedly.

"No, it wasn't Malcolm that told me." Oliver answered, remembering when Felicity had told him the truth about Thea's parentage. "Someone I trust with my life told me."

"Well it's ridiculous. They were lying to you." Tommy argued as he leaned back and rested his right leg on his left knee.

"No, it's not." Thea whispered as she watched Tommy. She knew he would be in denial about the affair. "There's proof."

"You show me the proof, I'll believe it." Tommy stated simply.

"You're looking at it." Thea stated simply.

"What? The only thing I'm looking at is you. How is that…" Tommy trailed off, suddenly realizing what Thea was implying. "Are you telling me that  _you're_  the proof?" Tommy asked.

"Felicity was going through my mother's financial records and came across a sizeable sum paid to a doctor about the time Thea was conceived. When she looked further she realized that it was hush money, paid to the doctor for confidentiality insurance to make sure he didn't talk about who Thea's father was." Oliver explained.

Oliver watched his sister and his childhood best friend stare at each other and for the first time he could clearly see the resemblance between the two. There was no question in his mind now that they were siblings.

"You're my sister?" Tommy asked as he studied Thea closely.

"Yes." Thea answered simply, scared about how Tommy would act once he fully processed this information. She didn't have to wait long though.

Tommy simply stared at Thea for a moment before it finally hit him. He had a sister, a sibling, he was no longer an only child. He quickly stood and took a step towards Thea. He could see as she stood too that she was worried about his reaction. He pulled Thea into a tight embrace and simply held her for a moment.

Oliver watched as the siblings embraced for the first time. Thea was a bit hesitant to reciprocate the hug, however that didn't last long as she quickly wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

"I can't believe I have a sister!" Tommy stated once the siblings finally pulled apart. "How did I never see that you look like me?" He asked, earning himself a soft punch in the arm for the comment.

"You were too busy watching all the pretty girls." Thea answered with a laugh. She glanced at her watch to check the time. "I need to get inventory done, not to mention I still have that computer problem."

"I'll have Felicity come work on your computer and tell Roy to help you with inventory." Oliver commented with a smile. "Don't worry, you'll open on time."

"Thanks Ollie." Thea gave Oliver a quick hug. "I need to get to work, but we can catch up later." She commented as she turned to Tommy.

"Sounds good." Tommy smiled as he gave her one last hug.

Oliver and Tommy watched as Thea headed to the store room.

"She runs the club now?" Tommy asked.

"Yep, for the last two years." Oliver commented quietly. "I took an extended vacation of five months after the Undertaking."

The men stood in silence as each were lost in thought. It wasn't until Tommy saw Thea reach the top of the steps to the office that he remembered something.

"Oh shit!"

"What's wrong Tommy?" Oliver asked as he faced his friend. Tommy had a horrified look on his face.

"Do you remember your first day back from the Island?" Tommy asked.

"Yes."

"I asked you if you realized how attractive your sister was… claimed I hadn't noticed." Tommy answered with wide eyes as he looked at his friend. "I thought my sister was attractive!"

"She  _is_  attractive." Oliver commented as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, but I didn't mean that in a  _platonic_  way!" Tommy said, horrified.

"Don't worry, I forgave you for that a long time ago." Oliver laughed.

"How are you laughing at this? I'm a horrible brother!" Tommy complained.

"You didn't know you were siblings at the time. That earns you a bit of leeway." Oliver answered.

"How did you not kick my ass? I would have kicked my ass if I were you." Tommy added.

"Self-control. Lots of self-control." Oliver laughed. "Come on, let's go downstairs." Oliver squeezed Tommy's shoulder as the two turned to go to the Lair below. "It's good to have you back Tommy!"


	4. Reunion

Oliver and Tommy passed Roy and Felicity on the stairs to the Lair. As Oliver met his wife's eyes he realized that she had heard him tell Thea he would send help up, and was helping him make good on that promise.

"Laurel's on her way." Felicity whispered into his ear before giving Oliver a quick peck on the cheek and continuing up the stairs.

Oliver had a feeling that Felicity hadn't told Laurel  _why_  she was needed at the Lair and he hoped that he had a few more minutes to talk with his childhood friend before she got there.

"Looks like you did some upgrades." Tommy commented as he descended the last of the stairs into Verdant's basement.

"We've upgraded our computer system, and have had to make way for some more display cases." Oliver commented as he watched Tommy walk around. Diggle came to stand next to him and watched the other man's progress around the Lair.

"I can see that." Tommy commented as he approached the wall of display cases.

The first case Tommy approached held Oliver's green Arrow suit. It looked like it had been updated as it now looked a bit more durable, not to mention that there was now a dark green domino mask with it. He had seen this before so he moved to the case to the right of Oliver's Arrow suit.

The next case held a black leather suit that was obviously for a woman. The jacket was short with three quarter length sleeves. There was also a blonde wig nestled inside and Tommy wondered just who it was that wore this black leather and the matching mask.

The next case in line held another leather suit. This one was black and grey camouflage, had multiple pockets and holsters on it, and a black domino mask as well. Due to the size Tommy could only imagine that this suit belonged to Diggle.

Tommy then walked the other direction to look at the two remaining cases to the left of Oliver's. They both held deep red leather suits and matching masks. The first had pockets on both sides holding knives and what looked like nunchucks, the kind that Michelangelo from the Ninja Turtles carried. This suit had a hood and mask just like the other suits. There was also a matching red quiver in the case telling Tommy that this suit belonged to an archer.

As Tommy approached the last case he felt himself smile, even if he didn't know why. This case held a red suit and matched in color to the one next to it. There were black laces from the waist up, a matching hood and mask, and a quiver. This suit was most definitely made for a woman and once again Tommy wondered who all fought alongside Oliver. It seemed that a  _lot_  had changed in his two years away.

"Who do the other suits belong to?" Tommy asked as he turned to his friend, noting that Oliver was simply sitting on the edge of the computer table watching him, Diggle close by his side.

"From left to right you have The Phoenix, Arsenal, Arrow, Overwatch, and The Black Canary." Oliver answered simply, a slight smile on his face.

"You know that's not what I was asking." Tommy replied with raised eyebrows. "I want to know who wears them."

"I know that. However, it is not my secret to tell." Oliver answered simply.

"I'm Overwatch." Diggle supplied from where he stood next to Oliver with his arms crossed over his chest. He knew that Tommy would eventually find out, it was better that he tell the man himself.

"Fitting." Tommy nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Tommy, there is someone on the way to see you." Oliver commented carefully. He hoped that Tommy wouldn't think he had overstepped his boundaries by calling Laurel.

"Who?" Tommy narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"I had Felicity call Laurel." Oliver answered cautiously. "She didn't tell her that you were here, just that we needed her to come by the Lair."

"Okay…" Tommy muttered as he turned away and ran both hands through his hair. "I guess I knew this was coming eventually."

"Tommy, Laurel was heartbroken when we thought you died." Oliver explained.

"No, you're right, she needs to know. I'm just not sure I'm ready to tell her what really happened." Tommy said quietly as he turned to meet Oliver's eyes.

Oliver's heart sank when he looked into Tommy's eyes. He could see that his friend had gone through some difficult times. He knew because he had personally felt the same emotions that he could see in Tommy, heartache, pain, hopelessness.

"Tommy, you don't have to tell her anything you aren't ready to." Oliver explained as he walked up to the other man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's been around me enough to know that I'll share when I'm good and ready. She'll give you the same respect."

"I hope so." Tommy whispered as he pulled Oliver into a tight hug. "Thanks for understanding."

"Oh, trust me, I understand perfectly."

"Yeah, the last two years have taught me  _that_  lesson." Tommy gave a small laugh.

"She's here." Diggle stated simply from where he stood watching the two friends.

Oliver and Tommy both turned to the stairs as Laurel descended, her heels clicking as she walked.

"Ollie, why in the world did you call me down here? Some of us actually have to work you know. I mean we can't all be millionaire play…" Laurel said as she walked into the Lair. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the man standing next to Oliver.

She couldn't move, couldn't speak, in fact Laurel could barely draw a breath. The man that she saw before her had to be a ghost. He had died, two years ago, protecting her from her own stupidity. She had gone to his funeral. She had cried, constantly, over this man.  _It can't be Tommy!_  She thought as she stared at him.

"Laurel?" Tommy asked cautiously. He could tell that she was shocked. She was hardly ever quiet after all, she liked to talk too much.

"It can't be!" Laurel finally gasped as her grip on her handbag slipped and it fell to the floor with a thud.

"Laurel, it's really me. It's Tommy." Tommy took a tentative step forward. "I'm really here, alive."

"How?" Laurel asked as she took a single step forward relishing the fact that she finally heard his voice again.

"That's a long story that I'll eventually tell you. For now I just need you to accept that I'm back, alive and well." Tommy answered softly as he took another slow step towards the woman that he still loved.

Laurel simply nodded her head as her tears spilled over. Thanks to the myriad of emotions she was experiencing she was unable to formulate any response beyond that. She quickly closed the gap between them and Tommy pulled her into his arms, lifting her off her feet in his excitement. She took a deep breath and enjoyed being in his arms again, feeling his warmth, inhaling his scent as it washed over her. He really  _was_  alive, and he was home!

It was a full two minutes later before either Tommy or Laurel made any move to release each other. When they did Tommy realized that Thea, Roy, and Felicity had joined the group in the basement.

"I know that me being back is a shock, and frankly I would be too if I were you. I know you all have a  _lot_  of questions but I'm just not ready to talk about it yet." Tommy stated as he turned to the group with one arm draped around Laurel's shoulders. "But for tonight I'd really like to just hang out with my girlfriend if that's okay with you - and she'll still have me." Tommy looked questioningly from Laurel to Oliver.

Oliver gave a small nod of his head. He knew that Laurel and Tommy would need time together, and he also knew that he and Tommy would need to have a long chat. However, he was willing to wait for his friend to be ready first. They could always talk tomorrow.

"Before I go though I have two questions." Tommy smiled broadly as he looked at the group around him.

"What?" Thea asked curiously.

"First, what's your boyfriend doing down here? He was just a busboy last I knew." Tommy inquired as he looked between Roy and Thea who were holding hands.

"You mean my fiancé?" Thea asked, a wicked grin on her face as she glanced at Roy.

"You're engaged?!" Tommy gasped. "You're not old enough to be engaged! You're only twelve aren't you?"

"Hahaha, very funny Tommy. Oliver gave his blessing so you just have to live with it!" Thea stated matter of factly as she drew herself up to her full height.

"You and I can talk later." Tommy stated as he looked pointedly at Roy.

Roy knew this was going to happen eventually, and he had mentally prepared for it while he helped Thea with inventory upstairsdd. He wasn't too concerned about Thea's second big brother giving him a stern talking to. It was expected after all!

"What's your second question Tommy?" Laurel asked, trying to keep him from giving Roy the talking to that was sure to come right here and now.

"How many of you wear suits?" Tommy asked, pointing to the wall of displayed suits behind him.

Oliver, Diggle, Roy, and Thea all raised their hands, much to Tommy's surprise.

"All of you? But wait, there's one more. Who wears the last one?" Tommy questioned.

" _That_  is something that will have to wait for another time." Oliver answered with a small smile, noting the look of disappointment on his friends face. "It's not our place to tell after all."

"Fine! Well, let me tell my little sister goodbye then we can go." Tommy told Laurel before walking over his little sister. He pulled her into a tight hug before looking at the new ring that now adorned her left hand.

Oliver smiled as he came to stand next to Laurel with his hands in his pockets.

"I can't believe he's really home." Laurel whispered as they both watched Tommy, Thea, and Roy interact.

"Laurel…" Oliver turned to face her. "I know you're excited to have him back, and that you have a lot of questions, but be patient with him. He'll talk when and if he's ready. Don't push it, or you'll push him away." Oliver wanted to make sure that she would go easy on their friend, especially since he had been in the same situation when he had returned from his time away.

"I know Ollie. If I've learned one thing from you since you've come home it's that I can't push for details, as much as I may want to." Laurel met Oliver's eyes. "I can't even imagine what he's gone through since he's been gone. But for now, it's enough to have him home."

"I'm only a phone call away if you need anything." Oliver told her quietly.

"Thank you." Laurel gave Oliver a quick hug, noting the small smile on Felicity's face as she did so.

"You two enjoy your evening. We'll have to catch up tomorrow or something." Felicity commented as she moved to Oliver's side and he wrapped his arms around her.

"Yeah! It looks like there is a lot I missed out on, huh Ollie." Tommy commented, noting how close Felicity and Oliver were.

"Tomorrow." Oliver answered simply, a smile still plastered on his face.

"Goodnight everyone." Laurel called as she pulled Tommy up the stairs.

The Team called out a chorus of goodbyes as the couple ascended the stairs and left. Once they were out of sight they all turned to one another, each unsure of what to say or do next.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected." Oliver commented as he held Felicity in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Diggle asked as he eyed his partner. He knew how Oliver had reacted when Sara had returned, he could only imagine how this was affecting the younger man.

"Fine. Who wants to spar?" Oliver asked, avoiding thinking about his own feelings too much at the moment.

"I'm game." Sara answered as she descended the stairs. "Then later someone can tell me what Tommy's doing back."

"When we figure it out we'll let you know." Thea muttered as the blonde walked past her.

"Fair enough." Sara smiled. "Who's up?"

At that point Oliver, Diggle, and Sara took to the mats to begin their sparring session for the evening. Thea returned upstairs to manage her club for the next few hours and Roy moved to the Salmon Ladder until it was time to join the trio on the mats. Felicity sat down at her computer and started to scan the city's news feeds. Surprisingly no one had gotten wind of Tommy's return. She decided to keep a search going for when it did finally get out that Tommy Merlyn was indeed alive and well.

…...

"Detective West, what can we do for you?" Detective Lance asked once he realized who it was on the other end of the phone line.

"I heard that you are the liaison between the SCPD and the Arrow. Is that correct?" Joe asked, getting straight to the point.

"Yeah, why?" Quentin asked curiously.

"I've been working with the Flash here in Central and we have a situation that we could really use your's and the Arrows help on." Joe explained as he met Barry's eyes.

"Of course, what's going on?" Quentin asked as he straightened up in his chair.

"There have been a string of robberies and murders here in Central. They've all had something to do with the elite, the one percent. We've been unsuccessful in figuring out who is spearheading this." Joe told his SCPD counterpart.

"What does that have to do with us?" Quentin was extremely curious now. "And by saying spearheading this I am assuming that you've caught the people who perform the murders and robberies, but there is someone else pulling the strings?"

"The group that's behind this has already been through Gotham and Coast City, now we think they are headed to Starling City." Joe cringed as he told the Detective. "And yes, we have no idea who is behind this."

"I wonder if this has to do with the threats that some of our more prominent citizens are receiving." Quentin commented.

"Most likely. They send threats before they carry them out." Joe explained.

"Well, we were going to bring the Arrow in on this anyway so that won't be a problem." Quentin told the other man as he stood to find the Chief.

"We would like to arrange a meeting between SCPD, CCPD, the Flash, and the Arrow. We can meet on your turf. Is tomorrow night too soon?" Joe asked.

"I'll call the Arrow."

"I'll have my office send over the information that we have so far." Joe told the other Detective. "Thank you Detective."

"Of course." Quentin ended the call with Detective West just as he approached the Chief's office. "Chief, I just got a call from Central City. They need our help."

…...

Felicity was diligently, or not so diligently if you take into account the fact that she was watching her husband in all his topless glory as he sparred, monitoring news feeds and police scanners for anything that would need their attention when suddenly her e-mail beeped at her. She opened the message and scanned its contents before she looked up and called to the Team.

"Guys, I think you need to see this." Felicity called, gaining the attention of everyone, including Thea who had just re-joined them in the Lair.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked immediately as he came to stand behind her, one hand on the back of her chair and one hand next to her on the desk as he leaned in to see her screen.

"I just got an e-mail from Cailtin. Apparently they are seeking the help of SCPD and Team Arrow to track down a criminal mastermind who has been behind several deaths and robberies in Gotham City, Coast City, Central City, and now they are apparently on the way here." Felicity explained as Oliver read the information over her shoulder.

"Of course we'll help." Thea commented as she stood next to her sweaty fiancé.

"They are planning a meeting with Barry, SCPD, Detective West from CCPD, and us tomorrow night. The details are in the e-mail." Felicity explained.

"Can you put that up on the big screen please?" Diggle requested.

Felicty did as asked and the information suddenly appeared where the entire team could look at it.

"Felicity…" Oliver started to ask.

"Already running searches to see if anything matches crime reports from the other cities." Felicity answered as she quickly typed out a response to Caitlin before running the promised searches.

"Diggle…"

"I'll make sure our arsenal is stocked and ready to go. It looks like we are about to get busy." Diggle responded to Oliver before he could get his full question out.

"Roy…"

"Hitting the streets to see what intel I can gather." Roy stated as he grabbed his hoodie and headed out.

"Thea…"

"I'm going to help Felicity compare police reports from Gotham, Coast, Central, and the SCPD. I'm also going to call Andrew to see what info he can share." Thea commented as she went to her desk chair next to Felicity.

"Sara…"

"I'll go talk to my Dad, see what he can tell us." Sara smiled as she grabbed her leather jacket and headed out to the police station.

As each Team member got to work Oliver looked over the information that Caitlin had sent over. He had a bad feeling about this case, a very bad feeling, but he couldn't put his finger on why. Before he could think too hard about it the Arrow's cell phone rang. Oliver picked it up immediately, his eyes never leaving the screen before him.

"Detective, I assume you have some work for us to do."


	5. Family

She couldn't help the smile that lit up her face. Eight years ago she would never have imagined that her whole world could be wrapped up so completely in one person, and yet it was! She loved him with every fiber of her being and couldn't imagine life without him. She would do anything for him!

"Sandra!"

Sandra was pulled out of her thoughts as she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned towards the source and noticed two men walking towards her.

"Jack, James, what are you doing here? How did you even find me?" Sandra asked as she stood and went to embrace the two men in a tight hug.

"We went by your place first and when you weren't home we thought we'd try here. We know how much time you spend at the park." Jack answered with a smile, looking fondly towards the playground not far away.

"He still idolize the Hood?" James asked as he looked at the six year old that was climbing all over the playground at the moment, wearing his favorite green hoodie as he pretended he was the Starling City Vigilante.

"Yes, and you will leave him alone about it!" Sandra answered as she turned her gaze to her son as well. After a moment she turned back to the two men beside her. "So, what brings my twin brothers back to Central City?"

"Business." James replied as he turned his back to the playground.

"I thought you were in Coast City on Business." Sandra replied skeptically.

"We had to leave, our business has moved on." Jack commented.

"That's what you said about Gotham City, Coast City, and Central City before that. When is your business going to  stop  moving?" Sandra asked accusingly.

"Doesn't matter. What matters is that we need your help." James commented, pinning Sandra with a stare that said she wasn't allowed to argue.

"What could you  possibly  need  _ my _ help with?" Sandra questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Starling City." Jack answered simply.

Those two words hung in the air between them as Sandra's heart dropped. She had moved away from Starling City just over seven years ago now. Going back, for any reason, was  _ not _ what she wanted to do.

"Why?" Sandra asked simply as she stared at her son who was playing not far away.

"You know good and well why." James told her, the anger beginning to build up as he thought about the reason.

"No, I don't, so why don't you enlighten me." Sandra refused to believe that it was the reason that she suspected.

"There are people there who think they are entitled." Jack said, voice completely void of emotion. "We intend to show them otherwise."

"All the one percenters." James smirked. "Especially Merlyn and Queen."

"I will  not…"  Sandra started to reply before being cut off.

"You  will !" James interrupted with a raised voice. He noticed the boy on the playground look his way before heading their direction so he lowered his voice and softened his tone. "They are the reason we were taken away from mom and dad. They  _will_   pay!"

"Mommy, can we go to Jitters and get hot chocolate?"

Sandra looked down into the face of her almost seven year old son who had just run up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling as she met his piercing blue eyes.

"Sure baby. Why don't you go get your toys and we can go." Sandra answered as she leaned down to pull him into a hug. "Can Uncle Jack and Uncle James come too?"

"Yeah!" The boy exclaimed excitedly before running off to go get his toys.

"We  will  finish this discussion once we get there." Jack stated, leaving no room for discussion once again.

The group walked to the Jitters that was just a couple of blocks away for coffee and the promised hot chocolate. As the adults sat at the table Sandra couldn't help but smile as Iris West allowed her son to help make his drink.

"Sandra, we're heading to Starling City. You two are coming with us!" Jack stated.

"No, I'm not!" Sandra stated. "I can't just pack up and leave to go back to a place where I'm not wanted."

"You can, and you  _will_!" James declared. "You're an integral part of our plan."

"You know I can't go back. I don't know what  she  will do if she finds me back in Starling." Sandra argued. Going back to Starling City was the last thing in the world that she wanted to do. Not to mention that they were thoroughly established here in Central City. She didn't want to give up her job, or her son's school and activities, just to help her crazy twin brothers with some far-fetched plan.

"Why is Starling City so important to you?" Sandra finally asked.

"You know what Starling did to our parents. So why  _ not _ Starling City?" Jack asked.

"Do you have any idea how excited mom and dad were when they had us? Even though they were fresh out of high school all they wanted to do was provide for us, take care of us, and give us more siblings." James explained.

"Yeah, and then that was all ripped away when mom took us to the Merlyn clinic in the Glades and was accused of abuse and neglect simply because we fell off our bike for two. We were three!" Jack continued.

"They took us away from mom and dad, placed us with this rich family here in Central City. That's where things really got bad." James stated.

"The husband always yelled at us, tossed us around, reminded us how we came from a low income, no good, slum dwelling family and that we were to be grateful for what they gave us." Jack said.

"She wasn't any better. She would  let  him abuse us, physically  and  emotionally. The bad thing was, DHS wouldn't do anything about it. They had so much money that they could just bribe their way out of anything." James explained. "Can you imagine living in a house that you weren't welcomed in, having no way of getting help because they could bribe their way out of everything? We were expected to be perfect, by everyone. That's an  _impossible_  standard to live up to!"

"Mom and Dad tried to get us back you know…" Jack said sadly. "…after dad got the job at the Queen Factory in the Glades. He finally had a steady job, a good income, but the courts said no. I have no doubt that our ' family'  bribed the judge to keep us."

"There was no hope left for them. They had you but couldn't get us back. Dad's job tanked when the Queen Factory closed and he never recovered from that as you know. He couldn't stay away from the bottle and it ended up killing him." James added solemnly. "Talk about sweet revenge when the Queen's boat disappeared. Robert Queen ruined so many lives that he  deserved  to die out there!"

"Mom never recovered either." Jack reminded her. "After you came to Central City she tried desperately to find a job, anything that would help and bring us all back together. She never got the chance though. That mugger killed her."

"Look, guys, I know how bad you want revenge. Believe me! But this is  not  the way to go about it." Sandra argued. She knew her family story, probably better than the boys did as she  lived  every moment of it with her parents. "Say we  do  all go to Starling City. Who's to say that the Arrow won't find us, and send us all to jail for life?"

"That's the beauty of our plan sis." James smirked. "We've been to Gotham City and Batman never caught us. We've been to Coast City and the Green Lantern never even got close. The Flash may be fast, but he hasn't caught us either. If three different vigilantes can't catch us then what's one more? You don't have anything to worry about from  him ."

"I am  not  taking my son there!" Sandra stated once again, trying to get it through her brother's thick skulls that she  refused  to return to Starling City. Not after what happened right before she left.

"Yes, you are. I'm not telling you one more time that you  don't  have a choice." Jack told her. "If you don't do exactly what we tell you, down to the letter, then we are telling your little boy's daddy who he is. We'll tell him that you lied to him just for the money. We'll tell your son's only living grandparent that you never intend to listen to what she wanted you to do and that you're going after her son, and all his money. Not to mention what the news will do to the wife."

"You wouldn't! You have  no  idea what  she  is capable of! She can ruin our lives, send us to jail. Heck, she can probably even arrange a hit-man to take me out if her son ever finds out about my baby! I'm not doing that to my child! I can't subject him to everything that comes with knowing who his dad is." Sandra was scared. It seemed that she didn't have a choice in the matter. She was being forced to do something that would put not just her but her precious baby boy in danger and sadly she didn't see any way out.

"If you don't agree then we will take your son away, far away, somewhere you'll  _never_  find him. You won't see him again until our business in Starling City is finished and who knows how long  that  will take." Jack told her menacingly. "Just think about what that will do to him." He ended in a whisper as the child in question approached the table.

"Look mommy, Miss Iris let me add extra chocolate to my hot chocolate!"

Sandra smiled down at her son who was beaming at her but she could still see the glares from the twins over his shoulder. As much as she didn't want to return to Starling City she  did  know one thing. She had to protect her precious son, no matter what it took. If that meant that she ended up in jail for the rest of her life then so be it, hopefully his father would be willing to care for him in her absence. _I hope it doesn't get that far._  She thought as she settled the boy on her lap.  _ Maybe I can get the Arrow to help somehow. _

The adults sat in relative silence as the youngest of the group shared stories from school, his friends, and the makings of his hot chocolate. Sandra tried to focus her attention completely on the almost seven year old little boy in her lap instead of the impending trip that loomed ahead of them.

"Mommy, when do I get to go to archery class?"

"In just a few minutes honey." Sandra smiled. She didn't know why or how her son had become so into archery, she thought it may have something to do with Starling City's Arrow that he was so fascinated with, but she couldn't help but smile when she saw him concentrating so carefully on his form. It was something that he enjoyed, the fact that he had impeccable aim for a six year old helped too, and she figured that they could at least get one more lesson in before they headed out of town.

"I don't think that's such a good idea Sandra." Jack commented as he looked pointedly at his watch.

"There is no way you already have the train tickets." Sandra countered, choosing to stand her ground on this one matter at the least. "We will go to his archery class then go home and pack. You two can go get the train tickets for tomorrow morning and sort out accommodations for when we get to Starling. I'll call my work and let them know a family emergency came up and that I have to leave town for a while."

"Fine, but only for my wonderful nephew." James smiled and touched a fingertip to the child's nose.

"Where are we going mommy?" Sandra smiled at her baby boy, her eyes meeting his curious blue ones.

"We are going on a trip buddy. We're going to go visit a place that mommy used to live for a little while." Sandra explained.

"No school?" He asked.

"No baby, no school."

"Yay!"

The twins laughed at his enthusiasm, wishing his mother had half the excitement that he did. Jack and James knew that even if Sandra didn't want to do this she would, she would do it to protect the boy in her arms.

"Well, Uncle Jack and Uncle James need to get going." Jack leaned down so he was eye level with the boy. "We'll see you and your mommy tomorrow morning, okay buddy?"

"Okay." Was the enthusiastic response.

"You have fun at archery class and we'll see you tomorrow." James ruffled his hair eliciting a giggle from the boy before he turned and started to leave with his brother.

"Bye Uncle Jack, Uncle James!" The six year old called after his twin uncles. They both turned and replied in unison.

"Bye Conner!"


	6. Discussions

Oliver couldn’t shake the bad feeling that he had about this case.  He had been up until the early hours of the morning reviewing the information that Felicity and the Team had gathered from Central, Coast, Gotham, and Starling Cities regarding the case that they would be helping Barry and SCPD with.  Once he and Felicity had finally retired to the mansion he had been unable to sleep.  That was precisely why, after hours of not sleeping, he eased himself out of his spot next to Felicity and padded silently downstairs.  This was where Diggle later found him.

“Did you even sleep?”  Diggle asked his partner who was currently covered in sweat as he hung from the top of the Salmon Ladder.  It was clear that Oliver had been at this for quite a while.

“No.”  Oliver answered simply, not really feeling like getting into details.

“Care to share why?” Diggle prodded.

“Not sure it will help.”  Oliver stated as he dropped to the floor and took a long drink of water. 

“Try it.”

“I can’t shake this feeling.”  Oliver explained as he ran his hands through his hair and then down over his face.  “Something’s off about this case and I can’t put my finger on what it is.”

“Can you explain the feeling?” Diggle asked curiously as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I feel like something’s about to happen that will dramatically affect not just me, but my whole family.”  Oliver commented slowly after taking a moment to consider the question.  “I don’t know, I just feel like my life is going to change in a big way and I can’t figure out if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“Have you ever had this feeling before?” 

“Yeah, a few times.”  Oliver took a deep breath.  “Right before I left on the Gambit, when I met Edward Fyers, when Ivo came to the Island.”  He met Diggle’s eyes.  “Right before Ivo killed Shado.”

“So it’s a feeling you associate with pain and death.”  Diggle stated.

“I don’t know what to do John.” 

Diggle wish he knew what to tell Oliver.  He wished he could say that everything was going to be okay, that things were going to work out better than they had the last times that his partner had had these feelings.  Unfortunately, as a soldier, he knew better than to voice those words as he couldn’t guarantee that it would actually come true.

“Look man, I don’t know what’s coming but I do know this.”  Diggle placed a hand on Oliver’s shoulder.  “You have a whole Team at your back this time.  We are all here for you, to help you, to support you, and to protect your back no matter what happens.  Trust your Team, trust your training and instincts, and trust that we will be there for you every step of the way!”

Oliver simply nodded his head in acknowledgement of Diggle’s words.  His partner was right, he had more people to help him this time than all the previous times put together.  He trusted his Team with his life, and he knew that they were there for him.  He also knew that he had an amazing wife just upstairs who always looked out for him, not to mention the fact that he could look forward to the future, and the fact that his little family was growing.

“What do you say we go upstairs and eat some of that food that I smell Raisa cooking?” Diggle offered Oliver a small smile.

“Okay.” Oliver quickly toweled off and put his shirt back on before following Diggle up the stairs.

Felicity entered the kitchen the same time that Oliver and Diggle did.  She smiled softly when she saw him, trying to hide the fact that she was worried about him.  She knew he hadn’t slept last night and she could see the worry etched on his face.  She went to embrace him in a hug and found that she was a bit sad that she had missed his early morning workout when she realized how sweaty he was.

“Good morning Mr. Oliver, Mrs. Felicity, Mr. Diggle.”  Raisa greeted them as they all gathered around the breakfast bar ready to dig into the feast that was prepared for them.

“Good morning Raisa.”  Oliver greeted her in Russian with a smile on his face.

Felicity sat next to Oliver and reached out to squeeze his hand to remind him that she was there and loved him dearly and he flashed her a smile in return.  She hoped that whatever was bothering him would go away, soon.

Oliver always enjoyed these moments where it was simply the three of them, the original Team Arrow, him, his wife, and his partner.  Everything in the world could be going wrong, but as long as they were together they could face anything.  It was as Raisa placed a plate of food in front of Felicity though that he realized that some things were more challenging to deal with than others.

As soon as Felicity smelled the food in front of her Oliver heard a very quiet “Not again” from her before she covered her mouth, stood, and bolted from the room.  Oliver sighed as he briefly met Diggle’s gaze and his partner was smiling at him.  No words were necessary from his friend.

Oliver stood and followed Felicity to the guest bathroom just around the corner.  He heard Diggle assuring Raisa that it wasn’t her cooking that made the younger Mrs. Queen bolt and that she would be perfectly fine.  Oliver smiled as he heard Raisa’s muttered response in Russian and he found he couldn’t wait to share with the rest of the family what she had already figured out.

As he slowly entered the restroom Oliver couldn’t help but feel bad that Felicity was heaving into the porcelain throne.  She was on her knees on the cold tile floor and had her arms braced on the top of the toilet bowl as she emptied the contents of her stomach.  Oliver reached out and held her pony tail up and out of the way and rubbed small circles into her back.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Felicity stopped vomiting and slowly sat up.  Oliver quickly stood and got a cool rag and handed to her.

“Are you okay?” Oliver asked tentatively.

“Yeah, sorry.”  Felicity apologized.  She felt bad for giving Oliver another reason to worry when he was already distracted by this feeling he had about their newest mission.

“You don’t ever have to apologize for this.  You can’t help it, and it’s just as much my fault as yours.”  Oliver offered a small smile.  “I love you, no matter what!”

“I love you too my dear husband.”  Felicity smiled.  “I can’t wait until this part’s over.”  She commented as she placed a gentle hand on her still queasy stomach.

“Is this normal?” Oliver asked as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“I’m pretty sure it is, but we can ask during our doctor’s appointment today.”  Felicity answered.

Oliver’s phone chose that exact moment to ring.  Oliver ignored it, choosing instead to help his wife stand from her place on the floor.  He knew that whoever it was would call back if it was really important.

As it turned out, Oliver’s phone barely stopped ringing before it rang again.  This time Oliver decided he had better answer.

“Hey Laurel.”

“Oliver, I need your help.  Tommy disappeared early this morning, didn’t leave a note, and he won’t answer his cell.  I’ve already called everywhere I can think of and I can’t find him!  I’m worried about him Oliver!” Laurel explained frantically.

_ What’s wrong? _  Felicity mouthed to Oliver.  She had heard Laurel’s frantic tone of voice over the phone and knew that something had to have gone wrong, but she hadn’t been able to make out any of the words.

“Tommy snuck out this morning and she can’t find him.”  Oliver whispered as he listened to Laurel continue to speak frantically.

“I can track him.”  Felicity whispered before she quickly rinsed her mouth and wiped her face.

“Laurel, we’re going to see if we can track him.  I’ll call you back as soon as I know something.”  Oliver stated before quickly hanging up as he followed his wife out of the bathroom.  They met Diggle in the hallway and his partner gave him a questioning look, probably due to the look of worry on his own face.

“Tommy’s missing.  Felicity is going to try to find him so Laurel can stop freaking out.”  Oliver explained at Diggle’s unspoken question.

The trio went into the den where Felicity had left her tablet and she quickly pulled up the needed software.  She started by trying to track Tommy’s phone but it had to have been switched off and the battery removed as she couldn’t turn it back on remotely.  She then patched into the traffic cams near Laurel’s apartment so that she could follow Tommy that way.

“Got him!”  Felicity stated as she found a visual of him on one of the cameras.

“Can you follow him?” Oliver asked, even though he already knew that she could.

“He stayed in the line of sight of the cameras until he got into a cab so it should be a piece of cake.  Oooo, cake, now  _that’s_ something that sounds good right now.  With ice cream of course.  Mint chip.  Yeah!  I think  _that’s_  what I want to eat.” 

“Felicity!” Oliver stopped her rambling, even if it was entertaining.  “Where did Tommy go?”

“Oh. Oliver.”  Felicity suddenly stopped typing and met Oliver’s eyes as she showed him the screen.

Oliver looked at the image on the screen and drew in a deep breath.  The image showed Tommy entering Starling City Cemetery.

“You should go to him.”  Felicity stated softly.

“But your doctor’s appointment.”  Oliver stated flatly, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen in front of him.

“Don’t worry about me.  I’ll just be filling out paperwork and answering a ton of questions anyway.  You’d be bored out of your mind.”  Felicity reached out and touched Oliver’s cheek.  “Your childhood best friend needs you right now, whether he realizes it or not.  Go to him!”

“Diggle?”  Oliver met his partner’s eyes after a moment.

“I’ll drive her.  Don’t worry man, go to Tommy.”  Diggle answered the unasked question.

“Are you sure Felicity?”  Oliver asked one more time as he placed a hand on Felicity’s shoulder.  He didn’t want to miss anything or leave her alone to go through this process by herself.

“I’m sure.  I’ll see if Lyla wants to go with me.  Would that make you feel better?”  Felicity asked.  She knew how badly Oliver needed to go to Tommy and she hoped that he would just go already.

“If that’s what you want.  Can you call Laurel for me?” Oliver asked quietly, knowing he needed to not waste time on the phone.

“Yes, I’ll call her and let her know we found him and you’re going to take care of him.”  Felicity smiled as she stood and wrapped her arms around Oliver’s waist.  “He needs someone that understands and you’re the only one in the City that can truly help him Oliver.  If you need anything, at all, no matter what time it is, you call me okay!”

“Yes ma’am.”  A small smile ghosted across his features before he leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her lips.  “I can’t wait to hear all about your appointment.”

“It’ll be boring. I promise.  Now  _go_.”  Felicity pushed him towards the door, knowing that in this instance time was a precious commodity.

Oliver turned away from his gorgeous wife and headed for the garage with his brown leather jacket in hand.  As he walked away he heard Felicity already on the phone to Laurel and he simply hoped that his wife wouldn’t tell her where Tommy was.  They would need to talk first.

As he entered the garage he headed towards his bike out of sheer habit, however, he settled for one of the cars instead as he remembered that Tommy had taken a cab to the cemetery and would need a ride.  As he drove, his mind went back to his own first few days back.  There were struggles that he hadn’t anticipated, like the reality of seeing a gravestone with his name etched into it.  He hoped that he would be able to help his friend overcome the challenges that came with essentially coming back from the dead.

Oliver arrived at Starling City Cemetery in record time.  Thankfully he hadn’t passed any cops on the way as he definitely  _wasn’t_  doing the speed limit.  He pulled around to where he knew his friend had to be, parked, and started walking.  It didn’t take him long to find Tommy.

“I never imagined I’d be here.”  Tommy commented softly from where he crouched in front of a headstone.  He had seed Oliver pull up, heard him walking towards him, however he didn’t turn around to look at his friend who now stood behind him.

“It’s surreal isn’t it?  Seeing your own name etched in the stone with the dates.  One of life.  One of the day you were supposed to die, but didn’t.”  Oliver said softly as he stood with his hands in his jeans pockets. 

“How did you handle it?”  Tommy asked, turning only slightly to look at Oliver.

“It terrified me.  Honestly that’s why I had it taken down.”  Oliver answered honestly.  “Seeing my name etched in that stone reminded me of who I was before that fateful trip.  The partying, girls, drugs; all the stupid mistakes that I made growing up.  I changed so completely during my time away that the prospect that people would expect me to be the same as I had been before I left scared me more than anything.  I knew that there was no way I could go back to being playboy Ollie Queen.  I couldn’t change the past, only the future.  I still had to pretend to be the old me, keep the mask on to hide who I really was.  Having the stone there as a reminder was just too much which is why I had it removed.”

“I don’t know if I can go back to the way things were either.”  Tommy said softly as he stood, placing his hands in his pockets, and turned to Oliver. 

“Nothing will ever be the same.  You and I, we’ve both experienced things that no one else has.  We both have demons that haunt us, and will continue to haunt us, for the rest of our lives.”  Oliver took a small step towards his friend.  “I’ve learned something the last couple of years from a couple of very good friends of mine.”  Oliver continued after a moment of silence.  “You can’t ever go back, you can only move forward.  Even if it doesn’t seem like it today you  _can_  be happy, build a new life.”

“Did Felicity teach you that?”  Tommy asked with a hint of a smile.

“She did.  As did Diggle.  Took a long time to get it through my think skull but it’s finally starting to sink in.” Oliver gave a small laugh, thankful that mood had lightened.  Even if only briefly.

“So, how was my funeral?  Was it like fish in a barrel?”  Tommy asked curiously as he thought back to the phrase he'd used to describe Oliver's own funeral.

“All those grieving girls?  I honestly didn’t notice.”  Oliver started to answer teasingly, but it fell flat as he remembered the events surrounding, and immediately after, Tommy’s supposed death.

“Hey, buddy, it wasn’t your fault.”  Tommy could see the guilt that flashed across his best friend's face and had a feeling that he knew where Oliver’s thoughts had taken him.

“I should have been there, but I wasn’t.”  Oliver countered,

“I shouldn’t have been there either, but I was and there is nothing that will change that.”  Tommy responded just as stubbornly as Oliver was.  “Something about that day’s stuck with me.”

Oliver met his friend’s eyes, curious about what it was that Tommy had thought about while he had been gone.

“After CNRI collapsed you were there, as the Hood.”  Tommy was lost in his memory as he walked to a nearby bench and sat down.  “You were there with me, up until I passed out.  I thought I had died by the way.  But anyway.  You were kneeling over me, tears in your eyes, and when the pain was too much and I was slipping into being practically dead you said something.”

Oliver swallowed hard.  He knew exactly what he had said.  He had replayed that particular conversation over in his mind so many times, re lived it in his nightmares for months after.  He slowly sank down to the bench next to Tommy and leaned forward, head bent and elbows on his knees as he waited for Tommy to continue.

“You said, ‘It should have been me.’ Over and over.  What would make you think that Oliver?”  Tommy asked, clearly emotional about it.  He had replayed this conversation over so many times in the last two years and he couldn’t figure out why in the world Oliver thought he should have died that fateful day.  It didn’t make sense to him.

“I deserved it a whole lot more than you did Tommy.”  Oliver responded quietly.  “I spent five years of my life where every moment was a fight for survival, it was kill or be killed.  I watched people I cared about tortured and killed right before my eyes.  I worked for people who used questionable methods and I let them change me, make me exactly what they wanted me to be, a weapon.  I resisted their methods on my first kill mission, but it didn’t take long for that to change seeing as they threatened even more people that I cared about.  Losing another person that was so close to me, it broke me Tommy.”

“That doesn’t make you worthy of death Oliver!”  Tommy argued. 

“I almost killed you Tommy!”  Oliver raised his voice at his friend, his control slipping.  “My first kill order,  _you_  were the target!”

“What? When?” Tommy asked, completely taken by surprise not just by this revelation but by the utter anguish that he could hear in Oliver’s voice.

“Hong Kong.” 

“I’ve only been to Hong Kong once.”  Tommy said thoughtfully.

“I was on a roof across the street, had you in my sights.”  Oliver confessed.

“That’s what you meant when you said I should be thankful I’m not dead at your welcome home party.”  Tommy whispered, things were becoming so much clearer now.

“I should have been able to save you the night of the Undertaking, but I couldn’t.  In that moment I didn’t feel like I had a reason to go on.  Everywhere I went someone I cared about died, because of  _me_.” 

“I heard rumors that the Hood disappeared for five months after the earthquake.”  Tommy commented.

“He did.”

“Why?”

“I felt responsible.  If I had done my job better, anticipated the second machine, then it would have never happened.  I failed the City, and I failed my best friend.  I deserved to go to Hell for it but didn’t feel like I deserved the release that death would bring.  So I went to the next best place, Purgatory.”  Oliver answered honestly.  He had never told this to anyone before but for some reason it just felt right telling Tommy how he had felt.

“You went back to the Island?”  Tommy was surprised.  He would have never in a million years guessed that Oliver would return to the place where so many bad things had happened.  “Why did you come back?”

“Felicity and Diggle.”  Oliver smiled softly.  “They came to get me when Queen Consolidated was about to go through a hostile takeover.  They brought me home to save my company.  I don’t know if they realized it but they saved me from myself in the process.”

“Well I’m glad they finally got through your thick head that you deserve a life.”  Tommy stated.

“They’ve never given up on me.”  Oliver smiled softly.

“Right, now that we’ve talked about some of the heavy stuff it’s time you tell me about your wife.”  Tommy laughed when Oliver’s surprised gaze met his.  “Don’t think I didn’t notice the pictures in the basement, or the ring on your finger.”

Oliver actually laughed at that and a huge grin spread across his face.

“I’m glad you’re back man!”  Oliver told his friend, his voice full of sincerity.

“Me too Oliver, me too.”


	7. Admissions

The ride back to the Lair was lighthearted and full of laughter as Oliver told Tommy everything that his best friend should know about his wife. Tommy heard the sadness in his best friend's voice as he talked about the wedding and he realized that he wished he could have been there, but since that had been impossible the least he could do was make sure that Oliver knew how happy he was for him.

"It sounds like Felicity is your soul mate." Tommy teased as they neared Verdant where Oliver's club was hidden underneath.

"She is." Oliver smiled. "I would be utterly lost without her!"

"So, my club is still standing I see." Tommy muttered as Oliver parked the car outside the club.

"It is. It took a hit during the Undertaking but Thea has it up and running again and is doing a fantastic job managing it."

"So I guess that means it's not my club anymore huh."

"Nope. You want it, you'll have to fight our sister for it." Oliver laughed.

"Our sister. I still can't get over that fact." Tommy turned to Oliver. "How do you think our parents kept it a secret for so long?"

"Turns out they were both pretty good at keeping secrets." Oliver stated matter of factly.

"Very true." Tommy muttered irritatedly.

Oliver and Tommy made their way through the club and down the stairs into the Lair. Everyone was still gone for one reason or another, so the guys had the place to themselves for a little while longer.

"Oliver, can I ask you a question?" Tommy turned to his friend after a moment.

"Yeah." Oliver leaned against the medical table as he faced Tommy.

"Last night I noticed something on Laurel and I was wondering if you would tell me what happened." Tommy stated as he mirrored Oliver and leaned against the table with Felicity's computers.

"You want to know how she got the cuts on her arms and torso." Oliver stated, knowing exactly where this conversation was going to go.

"What happened to her?"

"Last year your father came back to Starling City." Oliver started carefully, unsure about how Tommy was going to respond to the news that he had to share. "He was full of hatred, for my family, my team, but mostly me. He abducted my Mom, Walter, Lance, Laurel, Diggle, Felicity, and myself and took us to a warehouse in the Glades."

Tommy was furious, Oliver could tell from the look on his friend's face and he knew that the rest of the story wasn't going to make the situation any better. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"He blamed each of us for some part in stopping the Undertaking from being as successful as he had hoped. He took his skills as the Dark Archer and tortured each one of us in one way or another. With Laurel he said that she broke your heart by getting back with me that one time. Tommy, I swear it was only that one time. I never should have slept with her! I'm sorry!" Oliver had to apologize. He had never gotten the chance before the Undertaking and he wanted his friend to know how bad he felt about the whole situation.

"Don't worry about it Oliver. I forgave you for that a long time ago." Tommy offered a small smile of encouragement; even though smiling was the last thing he wanted to do as he was learning more about the kind of evil his father had been. "He's the one that cut Laurel isn't he?"

"Yes." Oliver stated simply. He was humbled, he didn't deserve his friend's forgiveness and yet Tommy had so easily given it to him.

"What did he do to you?" Tommy whispered after a moment.

"Tommy…"

"No, I need to know." Tommy stopped Oliver before his friend could tell him that he didn't want to know. He needed to know what his father had done.

"He dislocated his shoulder, shocked him with a generator, cut open his chest with a sword, poisoned him with Curare, overdosed him on Vertigo, shot him with a gun and an arrow, and then laid into his back with a whip. Oliver didn't even make a sound the whole time he was being tortured, or when Felicity dug the bullet out of his side with no pain medication." Roy stated matter of factly as he descended the rest of the stairs. He couldn't yet see the glare that Oliver was surely sending his way, but the shock on Tommy's face was enough to tell him that he had been heard.

Tommy was shocked. He knew his father was evil, but this? This was a whole new level of insanity.

"I'm sorry Tommy, but I had to kill him." Oliver whispered after a moment of tense silence. He couldn't believe that Roy had just told Tommy what Merlyn had done to him. He realized though that he was a bit relieved. He had had no idea how he was going to explain to his best friend how his own father had beaten and tortured him, with the intent of killing him. He'd have to talk to Roy later, and thank him for speaking up.

"He threatened everyone I cared about, and people you cared about. He wasn't going to stop until I, and some of my Team and family, were dead. I couldn't let him do that." Oliver finally said.

"Are you sure he's dead?" Tommy finally spoke after a moment.

"Yes, he had no pulse." Oliver answered.

"How'd you do it?"

"I snapped his neck." Oliver whispered, waiting for the tongue lashing that was sure to come from his friend. He stood, looking at the floor as his heart rate skyrocketed, waiting for his friend to respond.

"Life would have been so much better if he had just died when you stabbed him in the chest with your arrow." Tommy stated, his voice void of all emotion.

Oliver's head shot up at the comment from Tommy.

"I may have been out of it right after the Undertaking, but I did hear some guys talking about how you stabbed an arrow through your own shoulder in order to stop him. I just wish it had worked." Tommy stated. "I hold no hard feelings against you for killing him, especially after the things he did."

Oliver swallowed hard, trying to stop his emotions from showing. He didn't know how Tommy was so easily giving him undeserved forgiveness, but he was thankful. He had his best friend back, and Tommy understood that his actions had been necessary.

Tommy took the few short steps that brought him to Oliver and pulled his friend into a tight hug. Oliver probably expected him to be furious over the fact that he had been the one to kill his father. In all reality, Tommy was glad that it had been Oliver.

"The rest of the Team will be down here soon to get ready for the meet." Roy commented softly after a moment. He knew that Malcom's death had weighed heavily on Oliver for a long time. Especially as he had told Tommy that he had not killed his father. Oliver had told the truth that night, Malcolm had not died the night of the Undertaking, however you never knew how your friend would respond when you told them you killed their father!

Oliver and Tommy each stepped back and Oliver cleared his throat. It seemed that he and Tommy were still friends and for that Oliver was thankful. He had a feeling that there were going to be some tough days ahead and he would welcome all the friends he could.

Roy moved to the equipment cases and began going over his inventory, making sure his quiver was full of arrows and that the rest of his gear was squared away. He had felt bad for walking in on the discussion between Oliver and Tommy, but was glad that he knew his mentor had been forgiven of a heavy burden he had been carrying. Maybe Tommy coming back really is a good thing. He thought as he worked. As he looked up he offered Oliver a small smile as the other archer also inspected his gear.

It was about fifteen minutes of constant questions from Tommy about Roy and Oliver's gear later that the rest of the Team began to trickle in. The first to arrive were Thea, Laurel, and Sara. Thea and Laurel descended the stairs together and Laurel immediately went to Tommy and embraced him. He spoke softly to her, assuring her that he was fine and that he was sorry he had disappeared so suddenly. It was as they pulled apart that Tommy saw Sara as she descended the stairs.

"Sara?" Tommy asked, stunned and confused as to how the woman was here, alive!

"Thomas Merlyn! How does it feel to be back from the dead?" Sara smiled as she crossed the lair to give him a hug.

"Why don't you tell me?" Tommy laughed. "I can't believe you survived. Oliver said…"

"Oliver told everyone what I asked him to." Sara interrupted him, not wanting Oliver to feel bad once again for not saying anything.

"You're going to have to explain that one to me one day too." Tommy stated as he looked between Oliver and Sara.

"Speaking of back from the dead, will you have to go in front of a judge like Ollie did to be officially declared living again?" Thea asked as she finished placing arrows in her quiver.

Tommy stopped dead in his tracks with a deer in the headlights look.

"We'll cross that bridge tomorrow. We have work to do right now." Oliver stated simply as he placed a gentle hand on Tommy's shoulder. "Let's focus on today, and we'll worry about the rest of the world tomorrow."

Tommy met his friend's eyes, pleading.

"Don't worry, I'll be there for you every step of the way." Oliver whispered, knowing full well how Tommy was feeling right this moment. He had been in his friends shoes after all.

Oliver looked up as Felicity and Diggle descended the stairs and he immediately went to his wife and pulled her into his arms.

"How's Tommy?" Felicity whispered against Oliver's chest.

"As good as can be expected." Oliver answered, saying the words softly as he rested his head on top of hers. "How was your appointment?"

Felicity pulled back enough to look up at Oliver and offer him a wide, face splitting smile.

"We need to tell the Team." Felicity answered simply.

"We do. After we meet with Barry, SCPD, and CCPD tonight we can call a Team meeting." Oliver offered.

Felicity smiled back at him in response and Oliver leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. He had to exercise a good deal of self-control in order to not deepen the kiss as he wanted to right this moment.

"Okay Team. Training for the next hour. Felicity, you and I will go over the files one more time to see if we missed anything last night." Oliver instructed as he turned to face the Team throughout the rest of the Lair, his arm around Felicity's waist. "We will reconvene by the wall monitor to go over last minute details an hour before we head out."

Each member of Team Arrow gave a nod of agreement and each turned to a task. Tommy and Laurel found chairs nearby to observe as the Team trained and prepared for a mission. Sara, Roy, Thea, and Diggle moved to the mats where they took turns sparring with each other. Oliver and Felicity moved to sit in front of her computers to go over the files once again.

As Oliver sat reading over the files from Coast City, Sara was going over some new baton techniques with Thea. The sound that reverberated throughout the Lair was rhythmic, almost like the soothing sound of a train travelling down its tracks. It distracted Oliver and soon he was staring at the screen before him, unseeing. His thoughts had moved from the files before him to the gut feeling that had been with him since the first call from Detective Lance. He still couldn't place his finger on what was bothering him, or why. He only knew one thing.

The life of Oliver Queen was about to change!

….

 _I like riding trains. I don't get to do it very often but it's fun, especially when Mommy is with me._ Connor thought. _Usually we look out the window as trees, and houses, and cars go by. I like riding trains with Mommy._

_Today is different. I don't know why but Mommy is upset. She doesn't like Uncle Jack and Uncle James. They make her sad, so I don't like them either. I want them to go away so Mommy will smile again!_

Mommy lets me sit by the window. I pull my feet up under me and stare outside. _I like the sound of the train. It makes me happy, sometimes sleepy._ I hold my teddy bear closer. It was a present from Mommy for my last birthday. My teddy bear looks like the Arrow from Starling City. My Teddy Bear's name is Green Arrow.  _That's what I think the Arrow should be called, because he uses green arrows._

I don't know why but today I think about my Daddy. Mommy never showed me a picture of him, she said it made her sad. When I asked her why she told me that it was because my Daddy died before I was born. _That makes me sad too. I want to see my Daddy. I've never had a Daddy, but all my friends do._ I cuddle Green Arrow closer and think  _ma_ _ybe Mommy can meet the Arrow, he would make a good Daddy! He would make sure Mommy smiles more._

I'm getting sleepy. The sound of the train makes me want to take a nap. I look at Mommy and she's talking with Uncle Jack and Uncle James. _I'll just lay down on her lap._

I look outside one more time and yawn. I rub my eyes and when I open them again I see someone outside the train _. It's the Flash!_ He smiles at me and waves before he runs away.

 _Maybe things will be okay. Maybe the Flash and the Arrow will help make Mommy smile again._  I lay down with Green Arrow on Mommy's lap and close my eyes. I fall asleep. I dream of the Arrow, and of my Mommy, and I think that  _maybe, just maybe, I'll get a Daddy soon too._


	8. Briefing

Tommy watched the group in the lair. Roy, Thea, Sara, and Diggle were training on the mats while Oliver and Felicity went over everything that had been sent for the meeting planned for this evening. The Team still had a couple of hours before they had to change to go so Tommy was enjoying observing everyone. Suddenly a realization hit him.

"Laurel?" Tommy asked quietly as he watched Oliver.

"Yeah?" Laurel turned to face the man next to her and saw him staring at Oliver.

"What did you guys do for Ollie's thirtieth birthday?" Tommy replied as he finally turned to meet her eyes. He was surprised at the look of confusion on her face.

"What do you mean?" Laurel asked curiously.

"Oliver's thirtieth birthday... it was May sixteenth. What kind of party did you guys throw him?" Tommy asked quietly.

"We didn't..."

"You didn't throw him a party?!" Tommy questioned, stunned.

"We didn't think about it. Everything has been really crazy since he's come home. Between the Undertaking, his mom's trial, your dad coming back, Slade...we haven't had much time to breathe, let alone throw a party." Laurel admitted quietly, feeling really bad for not thinking about the fact that Oliver had turned thirty this year, much less the fact that he had even had a birthday.

"That's gonna change." Tommy muttered as he looked back to his friend. "He deserves a party."

"I agree. What do you have in mind?" Laurel asked, recognizing the look on Tommy's face as one that meant he was about to be up to no good.

"I'm not sure yet. Give me a day to think about it." Tommy answered as he smirked at Laurel.

The conversation between Tommy and Laurel shifted to what steps Tommy needed to take next in regards to coming back to Starling City. They knew he would need to go before a judge as they had declared him dead. Tommy also knew that he and Thea would need to discuss what was going to happen with Merlyn Global since his dad had probably left everything to her. The thoughts about everything he would need to do in the coming weeks was starting to stress him out.

Shortly after Tommy and Laurel had finished discussing what he would need to do next a gust of wind blew through the lair, sending the loose papers on Felicity's desk flying. Tommy gasped as it felt as though electricity was flowing through the room. He practically jumped out of his chair when a man in red suddenly appeared.

"Hey guys."

"What... _who_  are you?!" Tommy asked, mouth gaping from shock.

"This is the Flash." Felicity laughed as she turned to Barry, a smile on her face. "He's a friend from Central City."

"Don't worry. He's safe." Oliver commented as he clapped Barry on the shoulder, letting him know that he was okay to reveal his identity to Tommy if he so chose. His friend wouldn't say anything. "Tommy's been a lifelong friend of mine, and was a friend of the Hood." Oliver explained.

"Gotcha." Barry smiled before pulling his hood back. "Names Barry Allen." He offered his hand to Tommy.

"Tommy Merlyn." The men shook.

"Wait, as in the son of Malcolm Merlyn, Tommy Merlyn?" Barry asked, surprised.

"Yes. But he is  _not_  his father's son." Felicity answered as she placed a hand on Barry's arm. "He's a friend, and a good one at that."

"Cool."

"Is the rest of Team Flash coming too?" Thea asked with a smile. She loved hanging out with the guys from Central City. They brought an air of light and fun with them whenever they came.

"Yeah, they're on the train." Barry smiled.

"Not as lucky as you then." Roy laughed as he shook Barry's hand in welcome.

"Nope. They should get in within the hour. They'll head straight here." Barry informed the group. "Joe is going straight to SCPD though."

"I should head that way then." Laurel commented as she stood, gave Tommy a small kiss, then headed out the door. She would be able to relay anything that she heard at the police department back to the Team.

"So, Oliver, welcome back. How was the honeymoon?" Barry asked as he turned to look at Oliver and Felicity, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

"It was good. Thanks." Oliver couldn't help the face splitting grin that crossed his face.

"You know, someone once told me that guys like us don't get the girl." Barry raised his eyebrows as the saw the recognition in Oliver's face at the words.

"Yeah, well, he was wrong." Oliver answered softly as he pulled Felicity closer to him.

"Don't tell him that. He's got a pretty big ego and doesn't like to be told he's wrong." Barry teased.

"Okay boys! Break it up. I don't want to have to listen to Diggle and Cisco discussing who would win in a fight between you two...again!" Felicity stood between then, glaring at them both.

Felicity's computer beeped and everyone's attention was drawn from Oliver and Barry.

"Team Flash arrived sooner than anticipated." Felicity commented as she opened the door for the rest of Barry's team from her computer.

Cisco and Caitlin loved coming to Starling City. It was great to get out of Central every once in a while and it was a breath of fresh air getting to spend time with others who also put their life on the line to protect their city. Cisco was especially excited as he hauled the case down the stairs with him. Coming back to Starling always gave him an excuse to upgrade things!

"Hey guys!" Felicity smiled at the newcomers. "Welcome back to the Arrow Cave."

"We  _don't_  call it that!" Oliver growled playfully in her ear.

"Yes we do! I've heard you use it so don't go all Arrow growly on me Mr. Queen!" Felicity narrowed her eyes at him.

"Guys, you won't believe what I've worked up this time!" Cisco beamed, ignoring the looks everyone else was sharing. "I've had so much fun with this! I can't wait to see what you think Oliver!"

"Cisco." Oliver greeted the man through clenched teeth and with a tight smile. It was a look that said it had better not be something stupid.

"Caitlin, Cisco, welcome back." Felicity greeted Caitlin with a hug and a smile.

"That's for letting us barge in again." Caitlin answered. "We have everything ready if you want to go ahead and start the briefing." Caitlin told them.

"Please." Oliver commented as he kept an eye on Cisco, making sure the man didn't touch anything he wasn't supposed to.

Caitlin and Felicity moved to the computers and uploaded the information to the big screen as everyone gathered around. Tommy couldn't help but think that the Lair was getting  _really_  crowded and that they needed more room. A thought hit him and he decided that now was the time to step out. He had work to do.

"Oliver, I'm going to head out. I need to get some meetings scheduled so I'll catch up with you later." Tommy told his friend.

"Okay, see you later Tommy." Oliver gave his friend a quick hug before Tommy left.

"We're ready to start the briefing." Felicity told Oliver as he came to stand next to her. He gave a nod to her and Caitlin indicating that they could begin.

"We've been working with Batman from Gotham, and the Green Lantern from Coast City the past few weeks. The people that are coming here have already been through Gotham, Coast, and most recently Central. The only way we connected the crimes is because of their M.O." Caitlin said.

"I've been working with Andrew since he left a couple of days ago. He's only been working in Gotham for a little while but he had some useful information to send our way. He almost found the head honchos but hit a dead end when he couldn't find any form of electronic communication. It's as if they're passing instructions on paper or something." Felicity commented.

"We ran into the same thing." Barry piped up. "And no matter how fast I moved I never could find the person in charge. It's as if they have a whole network of people and only someone at the top of the chain knows who's in charge. No one has met anyone other than the one person that gave them information. I just ran out of time with them in Central."

"Well, hopefully we can help with that." Felicity smiled.

"Did you get any new information since you sent us the data?" Sara asked curiously.

"Not really, we sent you everything that we had except one last file from Coast City. It won't help much though. It just says the same thing that we just told you." Caitlin shrugged her shoulders.

"Whoever these people are have worked really hard to cover their tracks." Diggle stated.

"Did you find any notes or written instructions on any of the guys you apprehended?" Thea asked curiously.

"I think Joe has them with the evidence." Barry commented. "Why?"

"Did you run an analysis to see if it was the same handwriting?" Sara asked, knowing where Thea was going with this already and smiling to herself.

"Yes. An examination of the handwriting forensics proves categorically that there were two contributors to the samples." Caitlin answered. "That's why we think we're looking for a pair."

"Is there anything connecting the victims?" Diggle asked for clarification.

"No. At least not that we've found." Cisco piped in. "We've had three different techs looking at this so far and we've found no connection, no clues as to who it could be or how anyone is connected."

"It's very frustrating." Barry added.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do." Oliver stated, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Caitlin, Cisco, you stay here and work with Felicity. See if the three of you can't find a way to get us a suspect list and find a connection to the victims. We'll get the notes from Detective West tonight. Everyone else suit up. We're going to meet with the Police Departments then meet back here to come up with a plan of attack."

"Where are you guys meeting?" Barry asked as he turned to Oliver. "I can go ahead and case the place to make sure there are no surprises waiting for us."

Oliver, Barry, Diggle, and Sara moved to a map of the city to note where they were meeting the officers and coordinate things for the teams.

Once everyone was finally suited up Felicity ensured that they were all connected through the comms, including Barry's suit thanks to a bit of frequency help from Cisco, and everyone was ready to go. They were all ready to find these guys and add them to the collection of criminals in Iron Heights!


	9. The Meet

"Comms check." Felicity called as she took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of coffee in the mug next to her.

"Flash."

"Overwatch."

"Phoenix."

"Black Canary."

"Arsenal."

"Firestorm... I'm not late again am I?"

"Firestorm, you're right on time." Oliver smiled as he listened to everyone sound off. He couldn't believe he had so many heroes gathered tonight. "Is Gotham patched in?"

"Gotham here. We're set up and ready to go." Andrew smiled from where he sat in the Batcave. He couldn't believe they were doing this.

"Arrow Cave is ready to go too. Although, I think we need a better code name for me. Arrow Cave is a mouthful. I need something better, more intimidating..."

"Felicity, Sweetie!" Oliver said sternly, yet softly through the comms.

"See, that right there. If you were around any bad guys then they would now know that you're working with a Felicity. Great job _Arrow_." Felicity stated, knowing she was right.

"We'll talk about it when I get back." Oliver informed her.

"We all know you're not really going to _talk_ about it, Arrow." Thea piped up with a laugh.

"Alright everyone, let's focus on the job ahead. Flash..." Oliver shook his head, trying not to laugh before attempting to get the group back on task.

"Already cased the place. Detectives Lance and West are on the scene, the Police Chief is on his way. No unexpected surprises." Barry reported in after making his fifth lap of the place. He was just killing time now.

"Copy. Black Canary, Overwatch, you'll join Flash and me on the roof. Everyone else stay close and wait for my signal." Oliver instructed as his and Sara's bikes skidded to a stop. They parked them in a back alley a block away from the where they were having the meeting.

Everyone moved into position and awaited the appointed time for the meeting to begin.

* * *

"So, Joe, do you enjoy working with the Flash?" Lance asked as the two detectives stood side by side on the roof, each with his hands in his pockets.

"I do actually. He's done a lot of good work bringing in the metahumans." Joe smiled. "What about you? Do you like working with the Arrow?"

"The Arrow is a good man, and a protector of my City. Why wouldn't I like working with him?" Lance smiled at the other man.

"His methods are a bit..." Joe explained.

"Brutal? There's a reason for that. The more...delicate, methods don't work with our criminals." Lance finished for him.

"Surely there's got to be another way." Joe muttered.

"There is Detective. It just took me time to find it." Oliver stated as he emerged from the shadows, Diggle and Sara close on his heels.

"Shouldn't you be..." Lance started to mention that Oliver wasn't using his voice distorter, the CCPD Detective would most likely figure out who he was now.

"Don't worry about it Detective Lance. Detective West already knows my identity." Oliver smirked at the man who now had a dumbstruck look on his face as he turned to Joe.

"You do?" Lance asked curiously.

"Yeah." Joe laughed.

Mere moments later the air around them sparked with electricity as Barry joined them on the roof.

"Flash." Detective Joe West greeted Barry with a smile.

"Where's the SCPD Chief?" Barry asked curiously, ensuring he masked his voice as Detective Lance had yet to learn his identity.

"He should be here momentarily. You're freakishly fast." Lance commented, surprised at the sudden appearance of the man in red.

"See Flash, I'm not the only one." Diggle muttered under his breath much to the amusement of everyone else on the comms.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah...I still remember the first time we met. Your fries went flying!" Barry busted up laughing. He noted the smirk on Oliver's face just before the man spoke.

"Stop horsing around. The Chief is on his way up." Oliver commented. He had been amused by the conversation, but now they had work to do.

"How do you know?" Detective West asked curiously. There was no indication that the head of the SCPD was really here so how did Oliver know?

"My hearing improved during my time away." Oliver commented with a small smile before reaching up to activate his voice distorter. The Police Chief didn't need to know his true identity yet.

* * *

"What makes you think you guys can catch them? They've been through Coast City and the Green Lantern hasn't caught them. They went through Gotham City and Batman didn't get them. They were even in Central City and Flash here didn't even get close, and he's the fastest man alive. So what makes you think you can catch them now?"

Detectives Lance and West just stared at the Police Chief with open mouths. They were surprised that the man would even question the heroes in front of him. Both men knew that if anyone could catch the criminals that they were after it would be this group gathered before them.

"We _can_ beat them!" Oliver commented as he took a step forward. They had just spent the last hour going over the case, talking about the possible team that they were looking for and going over their method of operation. After everything that he and his Team had done for the Police Chief and Starling City the man now had the nerve to question him, again?

"What I think you've failed to realize, Sir, is that the Arrow is not alone in this. This team of criminals made one fatal mistake that will result in the end of their crime spree." Barry commented as he took a step forward and joined Oliver.

"What mistake? You're all just a bunch of people in costumes that think you can save this City, but you cant!" The Chief was angry. Angry that the duo they were after had been through three cities so far, all with heroes in them, and had yet to be caught. Now they were in _his_ city, threatening _his_ people.

"Their mistake was hitting Central City before coming to Starling City. Not many people are aware of it yet but the Flash and the Arrow work very closely together." Sara stepped up to join Oliver and Barry. She mentally smiled as she saw Diggle do the same. "When you mess with one you mess with the other and that gives them reason to come together, to join forces. I don't know if you're aware but every case that these two have worked together has been solved."

"You don't have to worry Captain. If anyone can stop these criminals it's the Flash and the Arrow." Diggle added his two cents.

"So you think that just you four can catch them? Can you keep more innocent people from dying?"

"No. The four of us can't. Which is why we have backup." Oliver looked over the Captains shoulder and nodded his head once. Moments later Arsenal, Phoenix, and Firestorm joined them on the roof. "We have a Team. We have those gathered here before you and more behind the scenes that work closely with us. We have connections from every city that the duo has hit so far and we have combined forces to hunt them down and put them behind bars."

"The only thing that we ask is for your police force to allow us to do our job. Share intel and help us when we need it. The only way we can catch them is by working together." Barry said. They needed SCPD on their side, to allow them to work freely within the city.

The Police Chief took a few deep breaths as he looked at the group gathered before him. He had never seen more than the Arrow and his Team together. He never realized that there were this many heroes, and that they had come to _his_ city. Maybe, just maybe with this many people working together there would be a chance that they could catch those who were threatening his city.

"Fine. Starling City Police Department will work with you. We will share intel, if you will do the same, and will be available to you should you need our assistance. However, we expect the same from you!" The Captain finally gave in. He would give them a chance, but one screw up and they were going to wish they had never asked.

"We have always been available to help you Captain." Oliver stated simply before turning to leave. The group gathered around him turned as well and jumped off the side of the building to head back to the Lair. Oliver turned back one last time at the edge of the roof. "We'll be in touch."

Detectives Lance and West watched as the Arrow fired a grappling arrow into the building next door and swung off the roof, heading away from them. They would meet up with the group later and go over the plan of attack. Both men were proud of the fact that they got to work so closely with the men and women who had dedicated their lives to the protection of their cities. It was an honor!


End file.
